Twenty-one Christmases later and Omer Deeb is still trying to find his footing during the holiday season. Christmas is the time to surround yourself with family and friends, however, a dark cloud looms overhead for this young college student.
Can anyone ever be truly ready for the holidays? Christmas gift shopping brings a horror story to the door of anyone battling anxiety.
The pressures of the holidays ignite Deeb’s ongoing battle with anxiety. Omer Deeb endures anxiety attacks as well as mild effects like trouble focusing, shaking, a sped-up heartbeat, sweating, breathing rapidly, nausea, and more. He finds himself struggling to focus because his mind wanders to worries that are constantly filling his head. During the holiday season, his worries become more specific and focused. He finds his mind drifting while hanging out with friends or catching up with family. Deeb’s worrying takes away from his holiday joy when he can’t remain engaged with the people around him. The worries that fill Deeb’s mind deal with the expectations associated with the season. The expectations, to make sure everyone has a wonderful time that is filled with joy, make this time of year much more difficult to bear when one is battling with anxiety.
Anxiety during the holidays is best described as an increased pressure on one’s mental state during the holiday season caused by financial stress, family issues, and prior mental health conditions. Rather than everyday life being the only thing triggering Deeb’s anxious effects, the holidays double the causes. According to Mind, a mental health charity, about 60 percent of people during the holiday season experience panic attacks. Over 21,000 people with mental health problems spent the holidays in the hospital last year. Anxious people don’t have a moment to decompress because they can’t escape the insurmountable amount of stress.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 18.1 percent of adults in the U.S. suffer from anxiety disorders, which is equivalent to 40 million Americans. According to the World Health Organization, more than 300 million people suffer from depression globally and more than 260 million are living with anxiety disorders. There are 40 million Americans dealing with anxiety, but it isn’t discussed enough to be seen as a mainstream problem even though the numbers declare otherwise. This lack of awareness about anxiety trails back to the lack of education in the subject. Anxiety isn’t spotlighted as a hospitalizing disorder because many people don’t believe it is a serious issue. This stigma is what prevents people with anxiety from getting the proper help they need. Breaking the stigma clouding anxiety is the first step to educating people about its severity.
People battling with anxiety during the holidays feel alone because it can be hard for someone with anxiety to communicate what they’re going through. Individuals often don’t know specifically what triggers their anxiety, but it doesn’t help when they’re expected to be jolly during that time of year. Many people with an anxiety disorder encounter the phrase “Cheer up, it’s Christmas.” The expectation placed on people during the holidays makes it much more difficult for people with anxiety to communicate what they’re going through.
Reach Out, an online mental health organization, gives tips for individuals that know someone dealing with anxiety and how they can help. People are advised to make sure they validate their peers dealing with anxiety by not downplaying the severity but acknowledging it. Another tip is to “be open and welcoming” so their peer feels supported. This is another way to make sure people with anxiety don’t feel alone. Proper communication is the next step in fighting back against anxiety and its crippling effects.
Brannon Allen, a counselor at Northlake Counseling Services, meets with many individuals including those with anxiety. Allen recommends certain practices for these individuals to power through the holidays. She lists preparation as the number one coping mechanism for holiday anxiety. Prepare in regard to gift-giving and event planning. Clients are asked to document affairs and plan ahead as to not overextend themselves and prevent task buildup. She claims that applying realistic expectations for the season is a highly effective stress minimizer.
Breaking the stigma, proper communication, and preparation all contribute to battling anxiety even by people that don’t experience but know someone that does. The more information people have about the fluctuations of anxiety throughout the year, the more open dialogue can be.
People with anxiety have trouble communicating because they don’t quite understand themselves in a way that could be easily communicated to another. On the other hand, people without anxiety tend to downplay the disorder because they don’t quite understand it either. When both parties are able to understand this complex mental health issue, that opens the doorway to combatting it when it gets tough for the holidays. People with anxiety won’t be expected to prepare for and power through Christmas on their own. People with anxiety deserve to fight back so everyone can be a bit jollier.